FreshDirect has opened a temporary brick-and-mortar store in Southampton, New York, marking the e-grocer’s first venture into the world of physical retail.
The pop-up location in the resort town near the tip of Long Island opened its doors on Friday and will remain in operation until the end of December. Known as FreshDirect on Main, the store carries an assortment of local foods, including farm-fresh produce, small-batch cheeses, olive oil and seasonal items. It also features a coffee counter that offers croissants and prepared foods, according to FreshDirect.
FreshDirect also plans to host activities such as ice cream socials and wine tastings in the store. In addition, the grocer said it intends to hold events including pizza-making classes next month in a house in nearby East Hampton, which, like Southampton, is part of the Hamptons, a group of seaside villages about 90 miles from New York City.
FreshDirect, which currently provides next-day grocery delivery service to communities in the Hamptons, said it is looking into offering same-day service to the area by using the pop-up store to fulfill orders.
Launched in 2002, FreshDirect is owned by Turkish rapid-delivery company Getir, which acquired the grocery delivery company from Ahold Delhaize in late 2023. Ahold Delhaize opted to sell FreshDirect just three years after buying a majority stake in it.
FreshDirect’s business is centered on its delivery service in the New York City region. The company, based in the New York borough of the Bronx, said earlier this month that it would resume service in parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware, reversing a decision from mid-2022 to reduce its service areas.
